Inflation, Energy and living on a fixed income.

[Esq.]

I think you are right to be concerned. Price and availability are going to be in flux for quite awhile and there are so many things we have no control over that will affect it. For example- due to much higher natural gas prices, fertilizer for spring planting has gone up 2-3X. How many businesses do you know that can simply absorb a 3x price increase in input costs? Farmers already operate on razor thin margins. They will either plant other crops- corn NEEDS fertilizer, or they will pass along the costs. Less corn- higher pork and beef prices, period. The cattle herd in CONUS has declined by about 1.5% per USDA since 2019 while demand remains strong.

With freezers I much prefer uprights over chest though chest is more energy efficient. Uprights are much easier to organize/see what you have. Mine are "garage" models- they are built heavier as temps vary more in garages vs. homes. I find vac sealing seems to work very well, I can SEE what I have and we lose less to freezer burn. We also can quite a bit of meat and dehydrate garden and tree crops.

However, simply BUYING food is a very short term solution. You have to PRODUCE food in order to be truly secure. Food is a consumable obviously, you can never store enough- the old Biblical advice about 7 years etc....99% of people have no idea what 7 years worth of food looks like! Storage of that much food for a family would literally require a warehouse. Produce as much as you can either by growing it- garden, tree/bush crops, or shooting/catching it. We put 3-4 feral hogs in the freezer every year. We will kill half a dozen deer. We'll put an Elk, Nilgai or Bear away as able....In addition to about 50 chickens and a beef we slaughter. If I can sneak in a trip to Lake Texhoma, we will put away a huge mess of stripers.....We have a couple hundred limed eggs in the pantry from the months when our chickens lay well....

[Averageman]

Please, if you have plenty and you can spare some for an elderly person living on Social Security, it would be a nice jesture.
Between the rising price of food and fuel a lot of elderly folks will be faced with hard choices.
I'm not saying feed a Hobo, but if there is an Elderly person you go to Church with, a Sunday Dinner and a load of leftovers might well be appreciated. Likely more than you'll ever know.
I have a feeling it's going to be a rough Winter for those in the rust belt.

[Esq.]

Please, if you have plenty and you can spare some for an elderly person living on Social Security, it would be a nice jesture.
Between the rising price of food and fuel a lot of elderly folks will be faced with hard choices.
I'm not saying feed a Hobo, but if there is an Elderly person you go to Church with, a Sunday Dinner and a load of leftovers might well be appreciated. Likely more than you'll ever know.
I have a feeling it's going to be a rough Winter for those in the rust belt.

So far this fall I've delivered 4 full cords of firewood to people who otherwise would not have had any. I cut quite a bit of wood every year. I enjoy it actually and other than some gas and oil and some chains now and then it really doesn't cost me anything. Spent several weekends this last spring cutting thinking some extra would be a comfort for people. Glad I did.

We canned and froze a huge pile of apples in September. There is an elderly gentleman on our block that has some wonderful trees that bear very well. We essentially gave him half of what we gathered/put up for letting us pick them. They otherwise would have rotted on the ground likely....

Last hog I shot I dressed and dropped at the local processor. I called one of several people I keep on a list and told them to call the processor if they wanted the hog. Processor said they called right away and he charged them a nominal amount for his work. Again, doesn't cost me hardly anything-some time gutting.... I shoot the hogs anyway and would leave them lay if no one wanted them.

There are plenty of things you can do to help people out that don't have to "put you out" much....

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Thanks on the freezer thoughts. I was mainly loooking for size suggestions that make sense for 4-5 people and also how meat is bought. Since I’m in CO, I thought that it might be easier to find a rancher selling direct. Can you buy it vacuum packed and already frozen? I’ve just joined COSTCO this year and have done more pork ribs and shoulder for BBQ. Is it OK to freeze those in the COSTCO packaging?

I was thinking beef mainly because I’m here in CO, also that seems to be the one that gets tight on supply and increases in price.

There is a local butcher, but he is more boutique than bulk. I do love his ‘hamburger’. Scraps from steaks that they grind up. Expensive, but tasty.

Interesting on the vertical vs chest freezer. Rotating even in our fridge freezers gets tough, let alone the pantry.

I dabble in gardens, but just don’t have the space, or really the light in my back yard. Tomatoes, maybe a zucchini (that is a lot of food per plant!), some peppers and herbs is all I’ve been able to do. I think I might try the ‘upside-down’ tomato method next year to get better light, yield and space utalization. Best food plants for semi-sunny locations.

I grew five corn plants in our front yard one year just to piss off my wife- she thought it was too red-neck.

[Arik]

Thanks on the freezer thoughts. I was mainly loooking for size suggestions that make sense for 4-5 people and also how meat is bought. Since I’m in CO, I thought that it might be easier to find a rancher selling direct. Can you buy it vacuum packed and already frozen? I’ve just joined COSTCO this year and have done more pork ribs and shoulder for BBQ. Is it OK to freeze those in the COSTCO packaging?

I was thinking beef mainly because I’m here in CO, also that seems to be the one that gets tight on supply and increases in price.

There is a local butcher, but he is more boutique than bulk. I do love his ‘hamburger’. Scraps from steaks that they grind up. Expensive, but tasty.

Interesting on the vertical vs chest freezer. Rotating even in our fridge freezers gets tough, let alone the pantry.

I dabble in gardens, but just don’t have the space, or really the light in my back yard. Tomatoes, maybe a zucchini (that is a lot of food per plant!), some peppers and herbs is all I’ve been able to do. I think I might try the ‘upside-down’ tomato method next year to get better light, yield and space utalization. Best food plants for semi-sunny locations.

I grew five corn plants in our front yard one year just to piss off my wife- she thought it was too red-neck.

They'll be fine in the original wrapping but there's a greater risk of freezer burn. I have meat I put away last year in it's original wrapping and it's still fine but every once in a while I notice one that's starting to get freezer burn. It's easier to just vacuum seal. You know those pork loins Costco sells? The long ones? My mom just cuts them in half and puts tin foil on the cut end and into the freezer. They don't seem to have any issues although I keep telling her to just vacuum seal it to be on the safe side.

I personally don't buy based on what gets tight on supply and increases in price. I like all dead animals. I just buy based on price. You might find a rancher or butcher selling cheaper in bulk but that depends on your area. Here there's a few good farms but grass fed, grass finished beef is EXPENSIVE. Too expensive to stock. Even grass fed grain finished isn't cheap.

I don't know if you like organ meat but it can be very delicious and cost less..... sometimes. Some farms toss that stuff. I try to do some type kidneys, liver, bone marrow, heart or gizzards from chickens once a week. Beef heart on the grill or cast iron skillet is like a tender juicy steak!!!!

Rotating is a PITA. I try to keep moving meat into the refrigerator freezer from the chest freezer. The refrigerator is where I'll get the food to cook while the chest freezer is for storage. It kinda works but you end up forgetting what you have sometimes.


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[Esq.]

Thanks on the freezer thoughts. I was mainly loooking for size suggestions that make sense for 4-5 people and also how meat is bought. Since I’m in CO, I thought that it might be easier to find a rancher selling direct. Can you buy it vacuum packed and already frozen? I’ve just joined COSTCO this year and have done more pork ribs and shoulder for BBQ. Is it OK to freeze those in the COSTCO packaging?

I was thinking beef mainly because I’m here in CO, also that seems to be the one that gets tight on supply and increases in price.

There is a local butcher, but he is more boutique than bulk. I do love his ‘hamburger’. Scraps from steaks that they grind up. Expensive, but tasty.

Interesting on the vertical vs chest freezer. Rotating even in our fridge freezers gets tough, let alone the pantry.

I dabble in gardens, but just don’t have the space, or really the light in my back yard. Tomatoes, maybe a zucchini (that is a lot of food per plant!), some peppers and herbs is all I’ve been able to do. I think I might try the ‘upside-down’ tomato method next year to get better light, yield and space utalization. Best food plants for semi-sunny locations.

I grew five corn plants in our front yard one year just to piss off my wife- she thought it was too red-neck.

Rotating is tough. I can't tell you how many times back when we used to do "butcher paper" for things we would go look in the freezer and find something we had forgotten- oh, they are all labeled etc....but you miss the little blue lettering as to what's what some times....With Vacuum pack it's a little easier to see what's in each package. With the upright freezer it's a little easier it seems. We had a decent system with the old chests using milk crates and hanging baskets to segregate things but still somehow would miss stuff. Freezer "cleanout" was a yearly thing.

Another thing you might consider is buying whole "legs" of ground beef. They will sell it at Sams and I would guess Costco etc...in 10 LB rolls. It saves you a little anyway, we buy them and break them down into smaller increments and freeze, can some too. Canning ground beef is pretty easy. Wife likes to have it around as it makes for nearly instant meals and doesn't require refrigeration.

Being in Colorado do you have any interest in hunting? Lots of good public land hunts in Colorado. I won't say that game meat is "free"- because it's not, especially if you don't process it yourself but, it is all organic and chemical free if that matters much to you.

[THCDDM4]

Thanks on the freezer thoughts. I was mainly loooking for size suggestions that make sense for 4-5 people and also how meat is bought. Since I’m in CO, I thought that it might be easier to find a rancher selling direct. Can you buy it vacuum packed and already frozen? I’ve just joined COSTCO this year and have done more pork ribs and shoulder for BBQ. Is it OK to freeze those in the COSTCO packaging?

I was thinking beef mainly because I’m here in CO, also that seems to be the one that gets tight on supply and increases in price.

There is a local butcher, but he is more boutique than bulk. I do love his ‘hamburger’. Scraps from steaks that they grind up. Expensive, but tasty.

Interesting on the vertical vs chest freezer. Rotating even in our fridge freezers gets tough, let alone the pantry.

I dabble in gardens, but just don’t have the space, or really the light in my back yard. Tomatoes, maybe a zucchini (that is a lot of food per plant!), some peppers and herbs is all I’ve been able to do. I think I might try the ‘upside-down’ tomato method next year to get better light, yield and space utalization. Best food plants for semi-sunny locations.

I grew five corn plants in our front yard one year just to piss off my wife- she thought it was too red-neck.

https://sunprairiebeef.com/

They have excellent meat and do a North Metro area and South Metro Area pick up once a month, you can also pay for shipping or go directly to them. They're not cheap, but the meat is high quality and a good price for what you're getting.

They have 10lb and 25lb boxes you can choose, or custom make a box with your selections of meats/cuts. They also do 1/2 hogs and 1/4 or 1/2 sides of beef.

I have 5 people in my family and we have 2 chest freezers, one is 10 cubic feet and one is 16 cubic feet.

The 16 cubic foot is for larger items and longer term storage and we rotate what we need into the 10 cubic foot for daily use and shorter term storage use.

It's plenty of room for us and I keep them full to the brim. I built some slim profile dividers with removable shelves/baskets to keep things organized and easy.

Here's a good guide for sizing of freezer chests:
https://www.maytag.com/blog/kitchen/...ons-guide.html

Size considerations should be based on what size items you intend to store, also. My 10 Cubic foot chest can hold a whole side of beef, but it is an odd fit and doesn't leave much space or anything else, but my 16 will hold a whole side plus a lot more.

1/4 sides of beef fit in smaller 5-6 cubic foot models, but don't leave space for optimizing the useable storage capacity with other items.

I'd recommend seeing the maximum size you can reasonably fit into your home, and buying that model and filling it up.

You're fine to freeze things in store packaging, if it is packaged from the store in a vacuum seal type fashion, like a lot of bulk meats from Costco are, there's no need to do another round of vacuum sealing unless you want to break things up into smaller portions or ease of use.

If the package has air pockets in it, you risk freezer burn and the plastic being punctured and not doing the meat any favors.

ETA: I am a nerd and keep spreadsheets of what is in each chest. As I add new or use and rotate I date and mark quantities and relative location. I have a location matrix identifying system I use so I know where stuff is. It's a little more work, but it pays off and I don't waste much of anything because I know what I have and how old it is and where it is at.

I do the same thing with my longer term storage shelf stored freeze dried food and all the foods in the basement stock room.

[GH41]

The downside of freezers is the possibility of losing power for an extended time. Living in an area prone to hurricanes we take the possibility seriously. I have enough propane and gasoline for the generator (duel fuel) to keep the fridge and freezer pulled down for about 100 hours. You only have to run the genny for an hour twice a day to maintain. Here is trick we use to let us know if the freezer has been down long enough for the meat to thaw. Fill a medicine cup full of water and put it in the freezer. When it freezes put a quarter on top of the ice. If the freezer fails for any length of time the ice in the cup melts and the coin sinks.

[Honu]

I keep a generator and gas for power outage also

Store wrap in the styrofoam tray type that plastic is air permeable for sure %100 you will get burn with it so change it ! Unless its for a month or less and you are OK with frosty meat ! YUCK

15cuft min IMHO as a starting point IMHO the small chest like 6 ft are not worth it I feel !
Research upright vs chest and get one you think sounds best for you
worst case you wish you had the other one and then as you grow your storage get the other one
Either one is better than NONE and 2 is best IMHO again I prefer chest but if someone prefers upright they have their reason why its all good

Again paper is way cheaper than the foodsaver bags which again are pricy for how much you get !
better quality vac pack bags are insane cheap but the machines are $$$ but work really really well !

to start off so budget wise paper is your friend and if eating within a year will do you well IMHO since you did mention budget is concern is why I beat this dead horse
places like sportsmans warehouse or cabelas (hunting folks do their own often) or restaurant supply stores have great stuff to for packing that is cheaper than the dept store prices

As far as rotating and storage again that is if you are messy type person you might have issues if you are organized personality wont be a issue IMHO anyway
As said many use milk crates to store food in chest freezers red ones for red meat yellow for poultry and green for pork as example two high that way you can have less bend in height and your newer is below empty the top and rotate out but having them fit proper can be a bit tougher since chances are they will not fit 2 deep as in front to back so you will have ONE row deep and a few across ?

I also prefer to freeze some things overnight on trays as they lay super flat like burgers I pre-make you can just take a 2 lb pack of ground beef put in fridge and make your own but I do find having them pre-made is handy with kids and life OH way better to make your own than those preformed ones you can buy IMHO they are so dry and horrid compared so skip those do your own

Also IF you ever freeze soups or other things chili etc... in vac pac or freezer bags and lay those flat on a sheet pan to freeze ! they stack upright and are super easy to get way more in and since they are flat rather than a odd shape

[Arik]

I keep a generator and gas for power outage also

Store wrap in the styrofoam tray type that plastic is air permeable for sure %100 you will get burn with it so change it ! Unless its for a month or less and you are OK with frosty meat ! YUCK

15cuft min IMHO as a starting point IMHO the small chest like 6 ft are not worth it I feel !
Research upright vs chest and get one you think sounds best for you
worst case you wish you had the other one and then as you grow your storage get the other one
Either one is better than NONE and 2 is best IMHO again I prefer chest but if someone prefers upright they have their reason why its all good

Again paper is way cheaper than the foodsaver bags which again are pricy for how much you get !
better quality vac pack bags are insane cheap but the machines are $$$ but work really really well !

to start off so budget wise paper is your friend and if eating within a year will do you well IMHO since you did mention budget is concern is why I beat this dead horse
places like sportsmans warehouse or cabelas (hunting folks do their own often) or restaurant supply stores have great stuff to for packing that is cheaper than the dept store prices

As far as rotating and storage again that is if you are messy type person you might have issues if you are organized personality wont be a issue IMHO anyway
As said many use milk crates to store food in chest freezers red ones for red meat yellow for poultry and green for pork as example two high that way you can have less bend in height and your newer is below empty the top and rotate out but having them fit proper can be a bit tougher since chances are they will not fit 2 deep as in front to back so you will have ONE row deep and a few across ?

I also prefer to freeze some things overnight on trays as they lay super flat like burgers I pre-make you can just take a 2 lb pack of ground beef put in fridge and make your own but I do find having them pre-made is handy with kids and life OH way better to make your own than those preformed ones you can buy IMHO they are so dry and horrid compared so skip those do your own

Also IF you ever freeze soups or other things chili etc... in vac pac or freezer bags and lay those flat on a sheet pan to freeze ! they stack upright and are super easy to get way more in and since they are flat rather than a odd shape

Vacuum is about $80 +/-. You can even get away with $30 one if you seal all but one edge then use that edge for suction. The bags aren't that expensive. I think I paid $20 for two giant 11X50 rolls.

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